Ont. man, 28, dies while vacationing in Thailand

LONDON, Ont. -- A young London-area man has died from unknown causes while on vacation in Thailand. Mike Talbot, 28, was pronounced dead Tuesday morning in a hospital in Patong.

According to local media reports, Talbot woke up about 5:30 a.m. in his hotel room after complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath. A family member told The Free Press Talbot had been travelling in a group with three other young men.

Gould said Talbot's family wasn't aware he had any health issues. He had worked for the last three years teaching English in China.

"They were on a vacation," Gould said. Talbot's trip to Thailand coincided with Chinese New Year celebrations.

Gould estimates it will take one to two weeks to repatriate his stepson's body, adding there are "certain protocols" that must be observed when bringing a body back to Canada from overseas.

Asked if he's confident that Thai authorities would be able to get to the bottom of Talbot's mysterious passing, Gould said, "We're not really sure of that yet. There's so many unknowns that we just know."

"He was heavily involved with athletics," Gould said of Talbot, saying he was "very family-oriented."

Talbot played rugby while at Western University. He had also attended Sir Wilfrid Laurier secondary school in London for three years, Gould said.